Name: The Handmaid's Tale
ISBN: 9780582329188

Margaret Atwood

Coral Ann Howells

Key Features: Study methods Introduction to the text Summaries with critical notes Themes and techniques Textual analysis of key passages Author biography Historical and literary background Modern and historical critical approaches Chronology Glossary of literary terms

Notes

The Handmaid's Tale

Emersen Delaney Kaye

claire

sam kruczek

Umm??? This is depressing? But also relatable. 

Keira 💫

We learned to whisper almost without sound. In the semi-darkness we could stretch out our arms, when the Aunts weren’t looking, and touch each other’s hands across space. We learned to lip-read, our heads flat on the beds, turned sideways, watching each other’s mouths. In this way we exchanged names, from bed to bed: Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June.

He looks at me, and sees me looking. He has a French face, lean, whimsical, all planes and angles, with creases around the mouth where he smiles. He takes a final puff of the cigarette, lets it drop to the driveway, and steps on it. He begins to whistle. Then he winks.

They didn't think to actually check her 🧍🏻‍♀️

Last week they shot a woman, right about here. She was a Martha. She was fumbling in her robe, for her pass, and they thought she was hunting for a bomb. They thought she was a man in disguise.

His skin is pale and looks unwholesomely tender, like the skin under a scab.

Yvette

They were paintings about suspended animation; about waiting, about objects not in use. They were paintings about boredom. But maybe boredom is erotic, when women do, for men.

I don't want a man around, what use are they except for ten seconds worth of half babies. A man is just a womans strategy for making other women.

Tatum Miller

I wanted to feel Luke lying beside me, but there wasn't room.

Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some.

NOW A SMASH-HIT CHANNEL 4 TV SERIES WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM MARGARET ATWOOD The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function- to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs. Brilliantly conceived and executed, this powerful vision of the future gives full rein to Margaret Atwood's irony, wit and astute perception.

Jess

This book was excellent! The Hulu series does an amazing job adapting it. It's spot on.

Joana Mae

I read this as part of our book club's banned book selection for March 2025.<br /><br />I initially put the book down in March 2025, but continued reading in April. Now I think I'm in a reading slump.<br /><br />I want to finish this because I find it interesting. The narrative style is very heavy and descriptive. The narrator's dreamlike storytelling makes my mind wander, and I often lose track of where I am in the story. Her complex narration makes it difficult to follow the plot at times.

GET READY for THE TESTAMENTS, the highly anticipated SEQUEL, by reading the BESTSELLING DYSTOPIAN NOVEL NOW AN AWARD-WINNING TV SERIES STARRING ELISABETH MOSS Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs. Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction. 'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it...no television event has hit such a nerve ...The Handmaid's Tale is more relevant one year after the first season' Guardian 'Don't expect to be gripped by a more potent or involving drama this year' Telegraph

Marco yauri 

I will have to read it again for sure, it was a lot to take in and understand.

I struggled really hard through the first half of the book. It was just so bleak and depressing but I understand why it was necessary. I didn’t like the bouncing back and forth between the past and present, but at the same time it was a really good way to show just how fractured Offred was. Story picked up a lot midway through and I really loved the other characters in the book. I don’t like Offred at all but I love how Atwood characterised her, especially with Moira, Ofglen and her mother as points of comparison. All my favourite scenes were the ones with Moira in them. 

Margaret Atwood is a genius, no clue how she write this in 1985. It reads like modern prose and the themes are still relevant and relatable (which is in fact highly depressing). Was thinking of watching the series but knowing now how different it is I don’t think I will, I kinda like that the book ended this way and that many characters had ambiguous endings. Given the setting, it feels much more fitting. The whole experience was pretty much like reading 1984 (complimentary). 

Nicole

I struggled really hard through the first half of the book. It was just so bleak and depressing but I understand why it was necessary. I didn’t like the bouncing back and forth between the past and present, but at the same time it was a really good way to show just how fractured Offred was. Story picked up a lot midway through and I really loved the other characters in the book. I don’t like Offred at all but I love how Atwood characterised her, especially with Moira, Ofglen and her mother as points of comparison. All my favourite scenes were the ones with Moira in them. 

Margaret Atwood is a genius, no clue how she write this in 1985. It reads like modern prose and the themes are still relevant and relatable (which is in fact highly depressing). Was thinking of watching the series but knowing now how different it is I don’t think I will, I kinda like that the book ended this way and that many characters had ambiguous endings. Given the setting, it feels much more fitting. The whole experience was pretty much like reading 1984 (complimentary). 

Margaret Artwood

The Handmaid‘s tale 

This is one of the most powerful books I have read recently. It took me a bit to read this book because I was absorbing all of the information in little chunks. I had heard such great things about this book, and it has proved to be the best classic I have read to date. Still a little challenging, but it wasn't in old English so I could still understand what was happening without picking it apart. Reading the beginning author's note really helped me understand that this was not Margaret's story, it was Offred writing her own story, being a bit clunky and jumping around. A beautifully written book that helps shed light on some themes that are still happening in the world, maybe now more than ever, and an important read for everyone. 

Maggie Hotmer

Discover the cultural phenomenon behind the award-winning TV series that feels all the more powerful and prescient in a post-Roe vs. Wade world.

'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it' Guardian

I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction.

'A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist', Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other.

Loved reading it, but it is scarily accurate how some elements reflect the situations of some countries on topics such as reproductive rights.

Denisse Garcia Ramírez 

Ok, but wth is that ending ??? 

Loved reading it, but it is scarily accurate how some elements reflect the situations of some countries on topics such as reproductive rights.

This was though to get through. By chapter 19, I was still waiting for something significant  to happen. The culture shock of Gilead is striking, and while I understood the world being built, I found myself only hanging on because of the small glimpses of rebellion.

I’m not a fan of this writing style. Too much digressive narration, side tangents, and anecdotes that made the story difficult to follow and, honestly, boring at times. I had to force myself to get through the last quarter  of the book because I DESPERATELY wanted to move on to different reads.

That said, I’m glad I stuck with it. The last quarter of the book was the most engaging.

After reading other reviews, I will say (unpopular opinion) I was satisfied with the ending. Probably will not read the sequel though

Hadley 

This was though to get through. By chapter 19, I was still waiting for something significant  to happen. The culture shock of Gilead is striking, and while I understood the world being built, I found myself only hanging on because of the small glimpses of rebellion.

I’m not a fan of this writing style. Too much digressive narration, side tangents, and anecdotes that made the story difficult to follow and, honestly, boring at times. I had to force myself to get through the last quarter  of the book because I DESPERATELY wanted to move on to different reads.

That said, I’m glad I stuck with it. The last quarter of the book was the most engaging.

After reading other reviews, I will say (unpopular opinion) I was satisfied with the ending. Probably will not read the sequel though

Diane Cordier

I was hooked up until the end when Offred seemed to lose hope. Or then again, it wasn't ever lost. Just transformed. I hope that so as much as she has changed, so can her world eventually.

Roseanne

Now a Hulu Original Series The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid’s Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY SUSPENDED THE CONSTITUTION? THEY KILLED THE CATE? WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK. DID SHE DIE IN THE END? FIDNXISFNEJFJ

Susan

Stunning and terrifying all at once. Hard to put down

Naomi Kemph

what a terrifying read. i picked this up because of what's going on in the united states right now, and I'm very uncomfortable with how accurate it is. they start by targeting porn, then reproductive rights, then women's rights in general. sound familiar? every man and woman in the united states needs to read this book, to open their eyes to what is happening around us. i can only hope reality doesn't follow fiction. 

also, i really hope everyone in this book ended up okay. the abrupt ending was shocking, but realistic considering it was written in present tense.

kaii

what a terrifying read. i picked this up because of what's going on in the united states right now, and I'm very uncomfortable with how accurate it is. they start by targeting porn, then reproductive rights, then women's rights in general. sound familiar? every man and woman in the united states needs to read this book, to open their eyes to what is happening around us. i can only hope reality doesn't follow fiction. 

also, i really hope everyone in this book ended up okay. the abrupt ending was shocking, but realistic considering it was written in present tense.

what a terrifying read. i picked this up because of what's going on in the united states right now, and I'm very uncomfortable with how accurate it is. they start by targeting porn, then reproductive rights, then women's rights in general. sound familiar? every man and woman in the united states needs to read this book, to open their eyes to what is happening around us. i can only hope reality doesn't follow fiction. 

what a terrifying read. i picked this up because of what's going on in the united states right now, and I'm very uncomfortable with how accurate it is. they start by targeting porn, then reproductive rights, then women's rights in general. sound familiar? every man and woman in the united states needs to read this book, to open their eyes to what is happening around us. i can only hope reality doesn't follow fiction. 

also, i really hope everyone in this book ended up okay. the abrupt ending was shocking, but realistic considering it was written in present tense.

This ended much more abruptly than I expected 

Lili

it was ok. i liked the world building. i don’t think i really liked this writing style. i found myself bored often until the end lol 😭 i want to know what happens in the sequel but i don’t feel too inclined to read it 😔

azaria

Lauren Piper

Leon

'It isn't running away they're afraid of. We wouldn't get far. It's those other escapes, the ones you can open in yourself, given a cutting edge' Offred is a Handmaid. She has only one function: to breed. If she refuses to play her part she will, like all dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. She may walk daily to the market and utter demure words to other Handmaid's, but her role is fixed, her freedom a forgotten concept. Offred remembers her old life - love, family, a job, access to the news. It has all been taken away. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire. Includes exclusive content: In The 'Backstory' you can read Margaret Atwood's account of how she came to write this landmark dystopian novel 'Compulsively readable' Daily Telegraph

Maureen

"We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it." 

***

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this classic. The plot is interesting and it's unlike anything I've ever read before. We enter in medias res, and I like how Atwood scatters bits of information throughout the book. Offred, at the start, seems distanced and unperturbed. But it's later that she recounts her tragic past. She is walking a tightrope—everything feels so uncertain, and it's this fear of danger that keeps readers on their toes. I just felt there were a few plot holes that were left unaddressed. Overall, it's a great book, and I can see why people loved it so much.

To call this novel “dystopian” is not quite right because what makes it so unnerving is that most of Atwood’s inspiration from real-world events in the ’80s can still be seen today in 2024. These horrors can be and are just within our reach. 

I highly recommend reading! I listened to this as an audiobook, and I think it adds something new to the story.

Riley

To call this novel “dystopian” is not quite right because what makes it so unnerving is that most of Atwood’s inspiration from real-world events in the ’80s can still be seen today in 2024. These horrors can be and are just within our reach. 

I highly recommend reading! I listened to this as an audiobook, and I think it adds something new to the story.

it's a good book but if I didn't have to read it for my English class it would have been better. Some parts were really boring and some parts were really good but then it would just stop. fuck this book lowkey

Giovanna

i mean it's an important book but a star off just for yr 12 lit trauma 

iris 

Mariana

At loss for words. This book can be terrifying and brilliant at the same time.


  nolite te bastardes carborundorum

This beautiful edition of Margaret Atwood's seminal work of speculative fiction features a leatherette cover, gilt edging, and ribbon marker--a perfect gift for book lovers and fans of the Hulu series. The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.

The Handmaid's Tale Deluxe Edition

Very disappointed not going to lie 😭 I had high hopes, and I think this book in theory is perfect, but the execution was horrible. The worst book i've read so far this year I'm afraid; and I'm so upset I didn't love it. It was just so dragged out, so long and so boring all the time. Nothing was ever happening and why did it take 275 pages to get a change in scenery. I understand the point of this book; it's very clear. But the excution of this message was just so lame. I'm not a fan of very amiguous plot books, and this book just fully made no sense at all. 

surtified™

first half was a bit boring, got interesting from the second half to the end. wasn’t that satisfied with the ending though

The Handmaid's Tale Notes

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